Pear shaped body: how they dress their best

The pear shaped body is one of the the most common body structures amongst women. The aim of this article is to show you how to dress a pear shaped body to make sure you appear balanced and proportional.

Some good examples on how to dress a pear shaped body can be seen with famous actresses like: Beyonce Knowles, Sophia Loren, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Love Hewwit, and Alicia Keys. They all have something in common. These lovely ladies do not only show off their style on the red carpet, but also their bodies. This body type is compared to a pear because the hip measurement is greater than the bust measurement, meaning the bottom half is slightly broader than the upper torso (see more details on Wikipedia here).

A pear shaped body is a wonderful – and we will show you how to dress it even better!

This article will show you how to make the most out of your pear shaped body. Or simply put: how to dress a pear shape!

Women with a pear shaped body often feel frustrated when shopping for clothes. A problem with having this figure is that the difference between the small shoulders and heavier thighs gives the appearance of looking heavy bottomed. Not all pear shaped women come in the same size and “proportion” so some have wider hips than others.

If you are a pear, your fashion goal is to elongate your figure so that you look less bottom-heavy. When dressing your body, it’s all about keeping everything balanced and proportional. It is important for pear shapes to highlight the top half of their body to contrast the lower half.

Your best features include a small waist, beautiful back and shoulders with a feminine curve.

Having a pear shaped body is great! You just have to know how to enhance certain features.

Dress the beautiful pear shaped body

Neckline styles

A deeper, more plunging neckline works best for a pear shaped body. It elongates your upper body and draws attention upward. Adding a long necklace also lengthens your upper body. Some other great necklines are boat, bardot, bateau, squared, and cowl.

Collars

Wider collars and lapels are suitable for women that don’t have a big bust or a short, wide neck. The more open the collar is, the more broader your neck will appear.

Sleeves

Go for sleeves that give your shoulders a bit more structure. Styles such as cap, 3/4 length, dropped, batman, puffed, wrist or above wrist are great for you. Big sleeves attract focus toward the upper body and away from larger areas. Along with a boat neckline, big sleeves balance your shoulders and bust. If you are less busty, puffy and short sleeves will work as well.

Tops/Shirts

As a pear shaped body, you want to direct attention to your tops and shirts. Fun colors, prints, and details at the neck draw the eye away from the hip area. Make sure that whatever you wear on top flatters your figure and corresponds with your lower half. Wear blouses that bring attention upward and widen your shoulders.

The stronger shoulder accents keep the eye focused on the upper half of your body and creates a more hourglass look by balancing the wider bottom. Because the lower half is slightly larger, you want to build up the top half to give yourself a more proportional appearance. You can easily achieve this by layering your attire.

This creates a visual balance between the top and bottom half of your body by giving volume. Also make sure to choose shirts that enhance your shoulders. Show them off by wearing off-the-shoulder tops that expose one or both shoulders. These immediately attract attention to your upper body.

Avoid drop-waists and baggy tops. You always want to define that tiny waist of yours, these shirts won’t help at all. Avoid tops that end at your bum because it draws unnecessary attention there. Do not wear shirts that are too tight, have visible pockets that stick out on your hips and thighs, and a faded jean wash color. These tend to highlight your secret trouble areas.

Vests

Go for a vest with small shoulder pads to help broaden your shoulders. It should be in a dark color to contrast with what’s underneath.

Jackets

Pear shaped body with a jacket

Before you go into details here we have an online quizthat will tell you how well jackets for women fit a certain body type!

Details around the neckline, collars, pockets, single or double breasted, shoulder pads are excellent. When choosing a jacket, consider one that ends past your hips, not at them. A longer jacket, such as a cute blazer, creates a long, lean line and covers the hip area. Cropped jackets, such as trapeze jackets, also look great. They add width to your shoulders with structured fabrics and highlight the slim waistline of a pear shaped body.
Regular jackets that end at your hips highlight the widest part of you. Avoid them.
Sticking to a cropped cut that ends at your waist brings attention to your most slender parts while showing off your curvy, sexy hips. Be sure to keep cropped jackets fitted at the shoulders and matched with a longer and slimmer layer underneath. Wear brightly colored tops on the inside to create a more visual balance. Accessorize your jackets with vibrant scarves or broaches.

Coats

As stated in the beginning, a pear shaped body has its largest part at the bottom. In order to play down your lower half, your coat has to hit the right spot. Jackets that are too short only accentuate your trouble spots and coats that are too long overwhelm your frame. You want to go with one that sits right under your hips and mid-thigh to show off your beautiful body. Like jackets, choose dark colors to make your silhouette appear sleeker.

This doesn’t mean you can’t wear prints. Sporting a coat with a nice floral print draws attention to your face and creates balance with your lower half. Embellishments, such as small front pockets and epaulets, help proportion your upper and lower body.

Princess and high waistline coats in an A-line are your best bet; fitted waistline and coachmen coats also look lovely as pear wear. Trench coats work great for a pear shaped body. It is usually worn with the strings tied in the back to help define your waist. It creates proportion between your shoulders and hips causing them look less full. Trench coats go with about any outfit and absolutely look spectacular on a woman like you.

Avoid straight cut and boxy coats, as you will look heavy in them. Raglan sleeve and drop sleeves are a no-go.

Dresses for a pear shaped body

Wear dresses that show off your arms, back, and busts. Strapless dresses look gorgeous on you, but if you’re a bit self-conscious about exposing all that skin try a halter neck. Halter necks are fitted at the top which allows you to show off your waist. Dresses with spaghetti straps give your shoulders a broader appearance and helps balance your figure.

Have some kind of embellishment on the top, such as ruffles, patterns, or fun textures, to add a little more volume to your bust. You also want to wear dresses that fit you properly. The ones that give a clean, elongating line while camouflaging everything underneath. This style accentuates your arms and your whole upper body causing you to appear taller and leaner. Empire or wrap dresses and those with a high waistline are a good choice. A low neck dress is magnificent on you.

Shun dresses in thick fabrics as well as dresses with a dropped waist. Any dress with a straight cut will make you look heaver as it hides your waist. At least wear a belt to highlight that area if you really want to wear a straight dress.

Skirts for a pear shaped body

A-line skirts are the best for a pear girl like you. They skim through those lovely curves without making them appear baggy and unshapely. You want to keep them knee length with vertical panel seaming. This will make your waist look smaller and your calves look fabulous. Stay clear of bias-cuts. Pencil skirts are also great. Be sure to keep the side seams straight from the hip down to the hem (no tapering).

Skirts that are flat fronted or softly pleated will highlight your waist. Try a tulip skirt. It glides, rather than pulls, over your lower half to disguise your hips and bum. If you want something a bit more fitted, don’t be afraid of a strong print. It will help gloss over any pulls in the fabric. Some other complimentary styles are straight tapered or between the knee and mid-calf. Keep the hem wide to visually balance your body. It creates the illusion that your hips and thighs are smaller. Skirts with a flip are most flattering.

Avoid short, tight skirts for they emphasize those ambiguous areas along the hips and thighs. Be aware of skirts that end mid-calf. They can often look frumpy and unflattering. Avoid lots of detail at the waistline and clingy material, such as Lycra. These define those extra bumps that you are trying to hide. Make sure to keep it clean and simple.

Trousers for pear shaped women

A pair of traditional trousers are quite flattering to a pear shaped figure. They visually slim your hips and thighs and lengthen your frame giving you the illusion of having longer legs. Be sure to keep them plain and simple. No belt loops, creases, pleats, and pockets. Choose dark colors instead of busy prints. It allows your bottom half to appear slimmer. For women with already long legs, wear bootleg or flared. Full leg line or ankle length are best. Stay away from capri, cargo or tapered pants. They draw focus right to the hips and thighs.

Shorts

Knee-length shorts are the perfect choice for a pear body shape. They help elongate your thighs. Just like pants and skirts, you want to go with a dark or neutral color so no attention is drawn toward your lower half. Stay away from black and navy because it could break up your legs and over accentuate your shape. Make sure that your shorts are free of any cuff or fancy hem. These draw focus to your legs and causes them to look wider instead of slimmer.

Avoid shorts with pleating and patterns. They tend to call attention to your bottom half. Booty shorts are definitely a DON’T! It makes your tush and thighs appear larger. Plus, it’s unattractive and uncomplimentary to your body. Shorts that end mid thigh are also a poor choice. They emphasize the thickest part of your body. Some other styles to avoid are cargo and super tight.

Jeans

Always wear darker shades of denim on the bottom. This way your legs receive that slimming effect and no attention will be drawn to your lower half. Darker blues, dark grays, blacks, and browns are the best shades to work with. Jeans with fading below the knee can also work very well. Wear jeans that have a flare on the bottom. A flared leg creates a more flattering line for your whole body. It balances out the curvy area of your hips and thighs without overpowering them.

Boot-cut is another flattering style. When you have a pear shaped body, you want to accentuate your curves and draw attention to your narrow waist. Boot-cut jeans successfully do this. They are fitted throughout the hip and thigh area, plus at the waist, creating a more proportioned silhouette. They also add balance to your lower half and lengthen your legs. If you’re the type of girl that doesn’t want attention drawn to her curves, go for jeans that are relaxed.

The relaxed style is still complimentary to a pear shaped figure. They are roomy all the way down to the ankles, so you are ensured of movement and comfort. Plus, they make your legs look longer.

Avoid light washed jeans that look worn out around the upper leg and body section. This will draw the eye directly to this area. Stay away from skinny jeans. They can be unflattering as well as emphasize your thighs and legs.

Overalls

Not every body shape can pull off overalls, but luckily a pear can. Some people think overalls are not considered fashionable, we say they’re wrong. Overalls can express your personality in many different ways. If you choose a pair of overalls with full legs, add some cute accessories, such as a hat, and wear a high heel to create a more feminine look. If you choose overalls that are cut off, wear printed blouses inside along with a neutral colored cardigan. Don’t be afraid to mix it up. Wear one strap unhooked or throw on a blazer. Nothing is off limits, so be creative!

Do not pair overalls with anything remotely western. You look like you’re wearing a costume. Stay away from plaid, agriculture boots, and anything that yells cowboy.

Accessories

Wear necklaces, earrings, scarves, and hair clips to add a bit of flavor to your upper half. Do not wear all at the same time! There is such a thing as too much accessories. Also, add a belt to certain types of loose fitting clothing. This helps emphasize your waist and accentuate your top half.

Shoes

Wear pointy-toed shoes with pants that are wide at the hem. This will make your legs look longer and slimmer. Round toed shoes are acceptable with pants that reach the ground. Heels are a great choice with any outfit. They automatically slim down your curves and give you some height. If you have a curvier bottom, wear pants that are longer and wider. This means you’ll need to wear a higher heel in order to balance out your silhouette. A medium to chunky heel is the best option.

You don’t have to wear heels all the time just whenever you can. If you want to wear boots, make sure they are long. This way it emphasizes your slim ankle. Pairing them with skirts or dresses in cooler weather creates a great leg flattering look. Do not wear ankle straps above the ankle. They break the long vertical line that you are trying to make. Sandals are fine as long as the straps are below the ankle bone.

Bags for a pear shaped body

Clutch purses and shoulder bags that sit on your waist are a great choice. Choose ones with many details attached or ones with a funky style. Oversize bags are also great. It corresponds with your hips to make them look smaller. Make sure that it is a solid color.

Swimwear/Beachwear for the pear shaped body

If you’re going to the beach or simply chilling at the pool make sure that your swimsuit is not too garish.Keep detailing above the waist. Two pieces work well, but keep the bottom simple and in one color. If you wear a skirt bottom, feel free to have a fun print/design on it that compliments your skin tone.

You don’t always have to stick with a dark, drab color. Halter neck tankinis will look gorgeous on you. They help maximize your bust and also broaden your shoulders. One pieces with a dark vertical pattern down the middle effectively narrows the figure. Swimsuits with side cutouts sculpt the midsection also giving you that slimming appearance.

from your description you found the right article – you are a pear. In terms of colors try and go for jeans with darker shades, for the cut try the bootcut. As for dresses try models that show off your arms, back, and busts.